Skip advert
Advertisement

Lexus RC F review – design

Irksome to some, distinctive to others, the update has sharpened what needed sharpening without losing any of the model’s distinctiveness

Evo rating
RRP
from £63,240
  • A masterpiece of internal combustion under the bonnet
  • Can feel cumbersome and a little unsophisticated. Infuriating infotainment

The RC F’s 2019 facelift may not have considerably changed the divisive looks from a distance, but it usefully sharpened certain somewhat clumsy details of the previous model. The one-piece headlights aren’t quite as contrived as the previous units, which from some angles seemed to melt into the sometimes flabby bodywork surrounding them.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The rear lights also switched to all-LED units that sit more proud of the car’s outer corners. The ‘L’ graphic in the rear lights is more defined, while the smoked elements add more aggression to the rear end. The distinctive diagonally stacked exhausts also remain, and although a little overwhelmed in size by the sheer visual mass of the car, they certainly help make the RC F look more exotic and exciting than its sometimes sterile German rivals. 

The Carbon and Track Edition cars add a tuner-like aspect to the styling, which depending on your aesthetic leanings is either crude or a brilliantly contrast to the RC-F’s ornate detailing. Regardless of trim, the aesthetics are certainly helped by the Track Edition’s forged BBS wheels, which finally have enough visual heft to carry the chunky body.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – from grassroots greats to supercar slayers
Best hot hatchbacks 2025
Best cars

​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – from grassroots greats to supercar slayers

Contracted though the hot hatch market may be, there are still some great models out there, from the electric Alpine A290 to the five-cylinder Audi RS…
10 Mar 2025
Used Honda Civic Type R (EP3, 2001 – 2005) review, specs and buying guide
Honda Civic Type R icon – tracking
Reviews

Used Honda Civic Type R (EP3, 2001 – 2005) review, specs and buying guide

The early noughties Civic overcame opinion-dividing looks and flawed dynamics to become a legend in its own lifetime. To rev it is to love it
7 Mar 2025
Alpine A290 v Alpine A110 – how much DNA do they really share?
Alpine A290 v Alpine A110
Group tests

Alpine A290 v Alpine A110 – how much DNA do they really share?

Alpine would like us to believe that the A290 shares much of the same DNA that makes the A110 a great driver’s car. Time to put that claim to the test
8 Mar 2025